It’s been a really interesting few weeks research wise. I’ve had the chance (for the first time in years) to revisit a lot of the reading that first inspired me and to think again in a focussed way about why I make the work I make and why I set up Collective Encounters in the first place. It’s been incredibly refreshing to revisit a lot of the old political theatre practitioners (John McGrath, Joan Littlewood, Piscator, Boal) and see how they connect both to current Applied Theatre practice and about how their work and ideas sit with the current political situation and the exciting new wave of opposition and activism. While the language may feel a little archaic (even I flinch around ‘class war’ and the Marxist terminology in the writing of the 30s and 70s) the substance is the same: inequality, poverty, injustice. The battles are the same. And I think we’ve a great deal to learn from the invaluable experience of political and radical theatre makers of the past. Nadine Holdsworth’s edited Naked Thoughts That Roam About made me cry – partly in awe of John McGrath’s incredible contribution, breadth of practice, insightful thinking, commitment and the way the book charts his development across his whole long, amazing career – just such an inspiration; and partly because the battles and wrongs he describes through the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s are still the same and in fact, I think, are getting worse because at least in his world there was clear opposition, a clear alternative. Now so many of us think that it can’t get any better because this corrupt capitalism is the only way. Always guaranteed to inspire and lift me out of despondency and into hope though, I went back to Brecht and his ideas of ‘making strange’ took on a whole new resonance. It’s good to feel part of a tradition, a long-line of theatre makers who want to use theatre as a tool, or weapon of resistance and change. And there are a lot of us out there. It’s been really reassuring to see that lots of people are talking about this kind of thing at the moment. The other John McGrath at NTWales started an interesting discussion about political theatre going on his blog; and NTScotland hosted a discussion with Alan Bissett talking agit-prop! Interestingly though, Michael Billington was simultaneously raising the age-old question of whether institutions like these, and indeed mainstream theatres in general, can possibly make radical work, suggesting that the more experimental, radical theatre was currently being produced by organisations like Cardboard Citizens – delighted to see them mentioned in the theatre pages of The Guardian. Red Ladder’s new Big Society has even got the BBC talking about a resurgence of Political Theatre. Long may the discussions rage! I’d love to hear your opinions. Rod (Red Ladder) and I have been talking about organising a gathering of past and present political theatre makers and thinkers later this year – I really hope we can make it happen and will certainly keep you posted.
All this has got me even more excited about In Our Times which we’re in development for at the moment, and how the ideas might start to be applied practically – it’s our new scratch piece and will start life as a 5-part animated song-cycle exploring poverty and inequality and looking at the impact of the cuts on us locally, nationally and internationally. We’re working with our participant groups and a team of professional artists as well as (for the first time) putting a call out for people to get involved internationally – you can find out more here. So the research and the practice are starting to come together.
If you’ve thoughts about political theatre past or present I’d love to hear them. If you’ve thoughts about how we can be using theatre now to tackle the problems of our time, I’d love to hear…
